Serious Bible Study!

The following Article is written by Cliff Sabroe. Cliff will be a regular contributor to the site. Cliff is a good student of God’s word, who loves to share it with others.

Fellowship is a word used a great deal in Christian circles. It conjures up several images in our minds. To some “fellowship” represents food, to others teenage devotionals, and still to others the close friendships they enjoy in a local congregation.

The word translated fellowship in our New Testaments is koinonia. It is defined as a “relationship, communion, community, common purpose or sharing”. God desires fellowship with His children and we should desire fellowship with Him. In fact, God sent His apostles to preach the message of Christ so we could enjoy this fellowship of joy (1 John 1:3, 4).

Great blessings accompany fellowship with God. First, when we have fellowship with Father, we also have fellowship with the Son, the apostles, and all others who follow God. When we have fellowship with God we have no need to feel alone, because we share in spiritual communion with past and present believers (1 John 1:3,7).

Secondly, fellowship with God provides continual forgiveness. As His children we are constantly made pure by the cleansing agency of Christ’s blood. God cannot have fellowship with sin. He is light and in Him is no darkness (1 John 1:5). Light is the absence of darkness, when we abide in the light (ie. fellowship with God), darkness is removed and we are pure.

These blessings are wonderful representations of God’s care and concern for His creation. These blessings, however, are conditional. We must maintain real fellowship with God, His Son, and His church. We cannot declare to have a relationship with God and still be living in darkness. God who is light cannot be in the presence of darkness (1 John 1:6). May we always abide in the light and reap the benefits of real fellowship with God.

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